The journalism and media analytics double major will spend this summer at the news organization’s Washington, D.C., bureau located two blocks from the White House.

The journalism and media analytics double major announced his summer internship on social media this week, expressing excitement that he’ll report on politics during a midterm election year.

“Reporting in Washington, D.C., blocks away from the White House will be very exciting, but doing so for USA Today is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Anderson said. “USA Today has a national audience, an amazing group of editors and reporters, and a strong commitment to informing the public.”

During his internship, Anderson will report to Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page and several political-minded editors. Having covered 10 presidential campaigns and interviewed the past eight presidents, Page is well-versed in the U.S. capital’s political scene.

“Having Susan Page as a supervisor and working with a terrific group of editors will make for a truly remarkable experience,” Anderson said.

​Anderson’s opportunity with USA Today comes on the heels of two fruitful summers spent refining his reporting skills. In 2017, he served as a News21 Fellow, contributing to a multimedia project on drinking water contamination. The year before, Anderson interned with the Raleigh News & Observer, where he landed a one-on-one interview with then-candidate Donald Trump.

"I wouldn't be in a position to accept this internship had it not been for several people who helped me along the way,” Anderson said. “I’d like to thank Paul Singer and John Bacon of USA Today for their trust and support, my entire family at the Raleigh News & Observer for their encouragement, and my News21 editors, Len Downie and Jacquee Petchel, for pushing me to be my best. There are too many individual people at Elon to thank than could possibly be mentioned. I’d like to express my gratitude to Dean Parsons and all the outstanding communications professors I’ve gotten to know over the years. They gave me a place I could call home and always believed in me.”